Friction-clutch.



To @ZZ whom t lmur/y concern: *I

` designates a shaft journale lUixIITEn fsTATEs PATENT OEEIC'E.`

BENGT M. w. HANsoN, OE HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNOR To PRATT a WHITNEY COMPANY, OEHARTFORD, cONNEcTICUT, 'A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Be it knownthat I, BENGT M. W.- HAMON,-

a citizen of Sweden, having declared\my in- I tention of becoming a citizen of theUnited .5 States, residing at Hartford, in the county.` of

Hartford and State of Connecticut, have .invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Friction-Clutches, of whicht e followingis a specification.

This invention relates to friction-clutches of the kind in which clutching action is maintained by a flexiblediaphragm actuated by fluid-pressure.

One object of the invention is theprovision of a dia hragm, pressurev mechanism for distending t e same, and a slidable element actuated by said diaphragmand having a clutch-surface adapted .when the diaphragm is distendedvtostengfge' a member loosely smumecfdu we Shaft with which the clutch is employed and to lock said member to said shaft.

vision of improvements in the Various elez 5 ments whereby either of two members loose 3o mounted members will beconnected to the shaft. t

In the accompanying drawings the gure represents a longitudinal vertical section of clutch mechanism linvolving my improve- 3 5 ment, and in said figure like numerals designate similar parts. l

Referring to thedrawin, the numeral 1 in suitable bearings 2 of the 'standards' or other parts of la 4o frame 3, said shaft having a longitudinal bore 4 and reversely-inclined passages and 6 leading from said bore.

One extremity of the shaft is reduced at 7.

thus forming a shoulder 8 adjacent to the bearing 2, and secured to the shaft and fitting against said shoulder is a collar or washer 9. A port 10 and a groove 11 are formed in the reduced art of the shaft, and loose `on said shaft an surrounding said port and groove 5o is an annulus 12, having a passage 13, into the end of which is threaded a conduit 14, leading to a source of fluid-su ply. (Not shown.)

Securedto the shaft a jacent to the annu- Further obj ects of the invention are the pro-i L Ffmc'rloN-CLUTQH'...

Patentes mag-chie, 1907.

lus 12 is'a collar. or washer 15,-and loose on said shaft and in contact with said collar is aA second annulus 16, havinga passage-17 communicating with a port. 18 and 'groove 19 of said shaft, iiuid under pressure being'conducted to said annulus by a pipe 20. To the end of the reduced part of the shaft a washer 21 is secured, and on the extreme end of the .shaft is threaded a nut 22, which bears against the washer.

,- Withinthe bore of .the Shafts-a tube 2,3',- closed at its outer end by a lug 24, and surrounding said outer end of t e tube is a bushing'25, having a port communicating'with the port 1'8 of said shaft. v Designated by 26 is a disk having a 'curved .orcu -shaped inner side, said disk being secure to the shaft by a ke 27 and being-provided with a passage 28 or the*` reception of lubricant. v .l Designated by' V29 is a bushing, inserted in the hub of an element 30, shown as a spurgear loose on the shaft, although the invention is not limited in this respect. 'A pad 31, of felt or other substance for absorbing lubricant, is fitted in agroove of the element 30, and communication from said pad 'to the shaft is established by a port 32 in the bushing'29 and a passa'ge33'in saidshaft.

Projecting from the inner side `of the elei .ment 30 is a flange 34, having'inthe exemplification given an inclined friction clutch-- surface 35, and keyed to the shaft is a disk 36, having a passage 37 in` registration with the passage 6 of the shaft, the inner face 'of the disk being chambered at- 38 for a purpose hereinafter described. Clamped to the edge of the -disk '36 'by screws 39 is a ring 40, and secured in place by said ring and a ring 45 is a diaphragm 41,.

Designated by 42 is a clutch member keyed to the shaft at 43 and having a. Sliding movement on said key. Thisclutch member is of peculiar configuration, it being reduced' on each side at 44 44 to afford space for the clampin -rings 45 46, secured to the disks 36 and 48 y the screws 47v 47 and having a narrow rim or circumferential rib inclined on its periphery at 42. 422 to form clutch- .surfaces A. passage 49 leads from the chamber 48 of disk 48'to the passage 5 in.

shaft 1.

ment shown as a worm, said element having a llangetl, prei ideil with an inclined clutchsurl'aee 50", receding from its edge and cooperating with the eomplen'iental clutchsurfalce 42; oll the member 4;. rlhis ele-ment 5() is vn'o\ ided with a pad 51, of felt or other absor )ent material, and leading to said pad is an inclined passage 52, to which lubricant may be supplied in any well-known way. A bushing 53 is driven into the hub of the element 50; and a spider 5J., keyed to the shaft 1 at 55 and .held in place by a nut 56,-prevents mm ement of said"element. A collar (30 is secured to shaft 1 adjacent to the inner end of the bearing Y Preniising the description of the operation of the im ention, it is distinctly to be understoodthat any suitable clutch-surfaces may be substituted lfor the inclined friction-surfaces illustrated without departure' from the invention and that while the elements 3() and 50 are shown as driven elements this condition maybe reversed, and suitable pulleys, gears, or other devices may be substituted therefor, if desired, the shaft then operating as a driving-shaft instead of a driven shaft, as shown. y

Fluid under pressure-for instance, compressed air-being supplied to pipe 14 by valve mechanism (not shown) will enter the bore 4 of the shaft l 'and the passages 6 and 37 and chamber'SS of disk 36, thereby forcing the diaphragm 41 into engagement with the flat face. of the clutch member 42, thereby forcing said clutch member longitudinally of the shaft and causing an engagement of the element 50 with the shaft. As said clutch member is forced to the right its fiat face 7] will slightly dilate the diaphragm 41. The air in the chamber of disk 48 being exhausted through passages 49 and 50 into the bore 4 of the shaft, clutch connection is then established between the element 5() and the shaft, and the latter will be rotated at a slow speed -by the worm in mesh with the worm-gear thereon. Should it be desirable to connect the element 30 to the shaft-fluid under pressure is admitted to conduit 20 and passing through the tube 23 will enter .passa es 5 and 49, expand the diaphragm 41, and 'orce the clutch member 4.2 to the left, thus causing an engagement between the inclined surfaces 85 and 42 and coupling the gear 30 to the shaft 1. In this way the clutch member 42 may be alternately engaged with the elements 30 and 50 to cause the shaft to be driven at different speeds, or the member 42` may be thrown to a neutral position between the two engaging clutch-surfaces when no connection is desired to said shaft.

Changes may be made invarious details of the construction, the invention not being limited to the precise construction shown and described.

lIaving thus described the invention. what lv claim is*- 1. The combination, with a shaft, and with a clutch member slidably connected thereto, yand having clutchisurl'aces, of a pair olI elcments loosely mounted onlthel shaft. one on each side, of said clutch member; carriers rigid with the shaft-diaphragm carried by each of said carriers; and iluitl-controlled devices for distending the diaphragms to cause the clutch member to be shifted into engagement with either ol' said loosely-mounted elements. I, 2. The combination, with a shaft, and with a clutch member slidably connected thereto, of disks on said shaft; diaphragms carried by the disks; elements loose on the shaft, and each having a clutch-surface; and means for admitting [luid under pressure to points where it will act upon either of said diaphragms.

3. The combination, with a shaft, and with a clutch member keyed thereto, and movable longitudinally of said shaft, of carriers on each side of said clutch member; diaphragms connected to the carriers; elements loosely mounted on said shaft, one on each side of the respective carriers; and fluid connections for distending said diaphragms.

4. rlhe combination, with a shaft, and with a member slidably connected thereto and having a peripheral clutch-surface, of a carrier; a diaphragm secured to the carrier; a complemental clutch element also having a clutch-surface to engage the clutch-surface of the slidalle member; and Huid-pressure connections for expanding the diaphragm, and forcing the clutch member into contact with said complemental clutch element.

5. The combination, with a shaft, having a bore,L and a passage leading from said bore, of a carrier rigid with the shaft; a diaphragm secured to the carrier; an element loose on the shaft, and having an overhangin clutch element; a sliding clutch member un er control of said diaphragm and adapted to engage the overhanging clutch element; and {inidpressure devices for actuating the diaphragm.

6. The combination, with a shaft having a bore, of passages leading from said bore, a clutch member slidably connected to said shaft; a pair of carriers one on each side of said clutch member, and having passages communicating with those of the shaft; diaphragms secured to said carriers; comp1emental clutch members loose on the shaft; Huid-pressure devices for distending the diaphragms, and connecting either of the loosely* mounted clutch elements to said clutch member.

7. The combination, with a shaft havin@f a bore, and passages leading to said bore, of a tube within said shaft; fluid-pressure devices for supplying pressure either to the tube or to IOO llO

thoshaft; a c-lutch member slidab'lyl connect-1f In testimony whereof I affix my signature ed to the shaft; carriers on each side of the in presence of two Witnesses. clutch member; diaphragms secured to the BENGT W HANSONV carriers' and located opposite the passages; and complemental clutch elements eoperat- Witnesses:

ing with said clutch member, and loosely sur- F. E. ANDERSON, rounding the shaft. y WM. H. BLODGETT, Jr. 

